Palace: Agencies should work together on Dengvaxia controversy

Malacañang yesterday urged government entities to work together and give justice to children who were given the Dengvaxia vaccine.

The Palace issued the statement amid the bickering between the Public Attorney’s Office (PAO) and the University of the Philippines-Philippine General Hospital (UPPGH) over the gathering of evidence related to the cases.

Presidential spokesman Harry Roque said state entities should unite because they are up against French pharmaceutical firm Sanofi Pasteur, the manufacturer of Dengvaxia.

“It is important for the fact-finding investigation to continue because if we file criminal charges, there should be proof beyond reasonable doubt. There is a need for all people in government to unite to ensure that justice will be given to children who were administered Dengvaxia,” Roque said over radio station dzMM.

“Until we have no such evidence, the Palace expects everyone to help each other because we are up against a strong foe, a multinational company. While there is bickering, perhaps the multinational company is happy. We have to help each other because more than 800,000 parents cannot sleep now because they do not know the condition of their children,” he said.

The P3.5-billion Dengvaxia project, which was implemented by the previous administration, sparked controversy after it was revealed that the vaccine may have placed students who never had dengue at risk of contracting a more dangerous strain.

The administration of former president Benigno Aquino III has been accused of implementing the vaccine project even if research on Dengvaxia’s safety was unfinished. Aquino has denied this and has claimed that the Dengvaxia issue is being politicized by unqualified experts.

PAO chief Persida Acosta has rejected suggestions for her office to lend sample tissues to UP-PGH, which is also conducting a probe on the deaths of children.

She justified her refusal to share the sample tissues by citing the supposed conflict of interest involving Raquel Fortun, a forensic expert connected with UP-PGH who also serves as consultant of ACCRA Law.

Dengvaxia manufacturer Sanofi Pasteur is one of the clients of ACCRA Law. Acosta challenged UP-PGH to exhume the bodies and to conduct its own examination.

But UP-PGH Dengue Task Force head Juliet Aguilar maintained that the state-run hospital only examines the clinical records of children and is not into exhuming corpses.

Roque said all government entities should push for the interest of the public.

“If they have complaints and if they think that an agency is becoming a traitor to the public, they can report it to the Palace,” he said.

Changes at DOH

Starting next week, Health Secretary Francisco Duque III will implement changes in the senior leadership of the Department of Health (DOH) due to the Dengvaxia controversy.

Duque said he has to reorganize in the light of investigations concerning high-ranking officials of the department.

The movement will affect certain undersecretaries, assistant secretaries and directors who will be reassigned to other offices.

Duque said the move was meant to preserve the integrity of the ongoing investigations and to prevent any undue influence on the findings.

This will come after two senior officials at the Food and Drug Administration were reassigned by Duque based on the recommendations of FDA director general Nela Charade Puno.

He said he respects Puno’s recommendation in support of any effort to ensure the ongoing investigation remains fair and transparent.

Outbreak possible

Duque warned of the possible outbreak of diseases as a result of the vaccine scare created by the Dengvaxia controversy.

He said there could be outbreaks of diseases that are preventable with vaccines if parents continue to prevent their children from availing themselves of the Expanded Program on Immunization (EPI) of the DOH.

“That’s not a remote possibility. I think that can happen, but which I hope does not happen,” he said during the Kapihan sa Manila Bay forum at the Cafe Adriatico in Malate, Manila.

Duque cited the cities of Davao and Zamboanga where measles outbreaks have been reported.

He said the agency is worried that because of the Dengvaxia controversy, the government might not achieve the goal of eliminating rabies, and that polio might resurface.

The DOH also observed a low turnout in its deworming activities in public schools in January, wherein only 40 percent joined, a far cry from the 90-percent target.

Surveillance

Duque said the DOH will hire 500 surveillance officers who will continuously check on schoolchildren vaccinated with Dengvaxia.

There will be a heightened surveillance of children for five years or more for other possible outcomes and health implications of the vaccine.

“These surveillance officers will conduct checkups in schools. The priority will be the hospitalized cases and those who manifest symptoms,” Duque said in the same forum

Under the plan, the DOH will source the fund for the surveillance from the over P1.1 billion reimbursed by Dengvaxia manufacturer Sanofi Pasteur.

The budget had been reverted to the Bureau of Treasury and the DOH must first secure Congress’ approval before it could use the funds.

Duque said he is planning to discuss with President Duterte the continued refusal of PAO to share with DOH the results of the autopsies it conducted on over 20 vaccinees.

He said he would consult the Department of Justice should PAO stand firm with its decision not to work with the DOH.

Stop the hysterics

Opposition Rep. Edcel Lagman urged Acosta to stop her “hysterics” and her “pseudo forensic investigations” into the death of at least 14 children she claims was related to their inoculation with Dengvaxia.

Lagman said Acosta should turn over her inquiry and sample tissues her forensic investigator Erwin Erfe has collected from the dead children to a DOH probe team composed of expert pathologists from PGH.

“The hysterics of Acosta and Erfe have influenced parents not to submit their children to any kind of vaccination, including routine deworming,” he said.

He said the sample tissues in the possession of Acosta’s office could “reveal the real cause of death of the alleged victims.” “This is the reason why Acosta adamantly denied the UP-PGH Dengvaxia team of experts access to tissue samples,” he added.

Lagman urged Duterte to rein in Acosta and direct her to turn over her investigation to DOH expert pathologists.